Samsung Offers Tizen Phone, Samsung Z

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Samsung will be launching its new phone operating on the new Tizen platform, the Samsung Z, tomorrow.

Samsung is showing off the phone at its Tizen Developer Conference in San Francisco starting June 3, according to the Seoul-based company. Samsung began developing the Tizen platform, an open-source project developed by the the South Korean manufacturer to develop its own software and services rather than rely on Google technology and upgrades for Android.

“Samsung is committed to enhancing the mobile experience of consumers with innovation that is both personal and unique to their needs,” DJ Lee, Samsung's president and head of global sales & marketing for mobile, said in a statement. “The Samsung Z integrates the power and adaptability of the Tizen platform, enabling users to browse the web faster and utilize applications more effectively.”

The 4.8-ounce smartphone has all the usual bells and whistles: a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display, a 2.3 GHz quad-core processor, heart rate sensor, front and back cameras, 2GB RAM and 16GB of internal storage, but unfortunately this makes it fall in the middle of the pack, according to InformationWeek.

While Samsung has done away with having to deal with Android and its updates, it's also done away with the Android store Google Play. While Tizen is new and different, so far it lacks an app store that will grow the platform. The platform hasn't had a demonstration yet, so little is known about how it works or if the interface is intuitive or clunky. Also, Samsung hasn't divulged a price. This is a lot to overcome especially as it takes on the ubiquitous Android platform -- and to a lesser degree, the iOS.

The phone will come in black and gold and be first available in the third quarter in Russia before expanding to other markets. That gives Samsung three months to build up a quality app store and create favorable buzz.